Carbajal Statement on Republican Plan to Gut Food Assistance Programs

U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) released the statement below following the House Agriculture Committee markup of the Republican-led budget bill. The bill would decimate the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and take food assistance away from millions of seniors, children, veterans, and families. “At a time when families are struggling to put food on the table, Republicans are once again working to strip away vital food assistance—all to give billionaires another extravagant tax giveaway,” said Rep. Carbajal . “Their bill does nothing to support hungry Americans; in fact, it will make life harder for countless families. I'm going to continue fighting back to protect these essential programs that so many people on the Central Coast depend on to make ends meet.” Watch footage of Rep. Carbajal’s opening statement at the House Agriculture Committee markup here . In California’s 24th Congressional District, 119,000 residents benefit from food assistance through SNAP. 900 residents who participated in SNAP in the past year are veterans. The Republican budget demands around $300 billion in cuts to programs under the House Agriculture Committee, threatening the largest-ever cut to SNAP, which helps over 42 million Americans afford groceries. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Carbajal has prioritized protecting federal programs that keep families fed. Earlier this month, Rep. Carbajal joined House Democrats in introducing legislation to block the extreme and unprecedented cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in the Republican budget.